The Voice of the Martyrs' blog, sharing powerful stories and timely information that invites and inspires American Christians into fellowship with their persecuted family around the world.

Posts from April 2010

April 30, 2010

Breaking news in from the New York Times, Gao is missing again, please keep him and his family in your prayers. Click here for the full story.

BEIJING — Gao Zhisheng, a prominent human-rights lawyer whose 14-month disappearance at the hands of Chinese security agents stirred an international outcry until his release last month, has again vanished, his friends said Friday.

Associates said Mr. Gao failed to return to a Beijing apartment on April 20 after spending more than a week in Urumqi, the capital of western China’s Xinjiang region, where he had been visiting his father-in-law. Mr. Gao had telephoned his father-in-law as his plane left Urumqi, saying he would call upon his arrival in Beijing, they said.

That was his last contact with the outside world. Li Heping, another Beijing human-rights lawyer and a close friend, said he had visited Mr. Gao’s apartment repeatedly but had not found him.

“There was a thick layer of dust on the door handle,” said Mr. Li, who last went to Mr. Gao’s apartment on Thursday. “No one had been there for a while. I have no idea who to call, or who has taken him.”

Others said they were sure that he had been returned to government custody and that his brief release had been a ploy to try to demonstrate to the outside world that he had not been mistreated while in detention.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 29 (CDN) — Local authorities on Monday (April 26) recovered a 14-year-old Christian girl from Pakistan Air Force (PAF) police who allegedly tortured her and her family for five days here as Christian “soft targets” over false theft allegations, sources said.

Islamabad police in predominantly Sunni Muslim Pakistan removed Sumera Pervaiz from a PAF hospital, where she was recovering from injuries that a doctor said could cripple her for life. Earlier this month, according to family and police sources, PAF police were said to have illegally detained her and members of her family after PAF Wing Commander Faheem Cheema, who had hired Sumera as a maid, found gold ornaments and other valuables missing from his home in PAF Colony, Islamabad.

Cheema filed a theft complaint with local police without naming any suspects, but without informing local officers the wing commander on April 15 allegedly directed PAF police to detain Sumera and four members of her family – Pervaiz Masih, Sana Bibi, Parveen Masih and Kala Masih – who live in PAF Colony in Islamabad. PAF police allegedly failed to inform local police about detaining the family.

Cheema has denied that he ordered PAF police to detain the girl and her family members.

When District and Session Court Judge Mazhar Hussain Barlas ordered Sumera to appear at a hearing on April 22, she testified that on April 15 three persons who were not in uniform arrived at her house at midnight and detained her, her father Pervaiz Masih and the other family members.

“For many days we remained in the custody of those people, who severely tortured me during their ‘interrogation,’” she said.

When the judge asked her who had brought her to the PAF hospital, she replied that during questioning she had lost consciousness and later found herself in the hospital.

“So I don’t know who brought me there,” she said.

Because of injuries sustained during torture, Sumera is barely able to walk, said Dr. Nusrat Saleem of the PAF hospital.

“Sumera is under treatment, we are trying our best, but unfortunately the reports indicate that she might not be able to walk for the rest of her life,” Saleem told Compass.

The Pervaiz family’s Roman Catholic parish priest, Samuel James, said that the theft accusation, illegal detainment and torture would not have happened to fellow Muslims.

“I am really disturbed to see that this innocent family has been severely tortured by the police,” he said. “They have been targeted because of their faith.”

At the April 22 hearing, Sumera testified that as PAF police were questioning her, she saw her brother Imran Pervaiz also was there. The judge instructed the court to take note that PAF police had also taken her brother into custody.

In denying that he had ordered PAF to detain Sumera and her family members, Cheema reportedly said, “I don’t know anything about the illegal detention of the family, nor have I asked the police to interrogate them. They detained the family and tortured them on their own.”

Inspector Saleem Khan of the PAF police, however, indicated otherwise.

“Faheem’s family expressed their doubts about Sumera and her family, saying they are Christians and don’t belong in PAF Colony,” he said.

Initially police had tried to keep Sumera from testifying, with Station House Officer Mumtaz Sheikh telling the court, “Sumera’s health doesn’t allow her to come in the court, and she was therefore admitted in the PAF Hospital.”

The family’s attorneys, Jamila Aslam and Shamoona Javid, replied that their client was in the hospital because she had been tortured and requested that the judge direct that she be produced in court. Barlas so ordered, and a few hours later police brought her from the PAF hospital. It was the judge also who ordered that she and her family members be removed from PAF hospital custody on Monday (April 26).

Barlas also directed police to produce Sumera’s brother, Imran Pervaiz, before the court, saying that failure to do so would result in an order for police to file a First Information Report against Cheema based on testimony by Sumera and her father.

The judge also directed police to ensure that Sumera gets a medical exam, with the results to be shown to the court.

Christian organizations including Ephlal Ministry, Peace Pakistan, Protect Foundation, Life for All and others have condemned the incident. Ephlal Ministry Chairman Mehboob Alam has called on other Christian leaders to assist the family, as they have been evicted from their PAF quarters.

Now that April is ending and May is just around the corner, most of us are thinking about our mothers and how we will celebrate Mothers Day this year.

For me, Mothers Day is always bittersweet because my mom came to know the Lord a year before she died, and so I always think about my mom who is in heaven with the Lord. Which got me thinking about all of those moms out there who still do not have bibles of their own. Have you ever thought if it that way?

Well, Bibles Unbound is a great ministry and as I was going through the Bibles Unbound site this morning, I took a screen capture of the section where we have noted how many individuals are still waiting for a bible, and I thought, what if my mom was one of those people? What would I do in order to make sure she received a copy of the most important message that God ever gave us?

Well, here's an idea for you. If your mom is with the Lord like mine is, why not consider joining Bibles Unbound and giving bibles in honor of your mom. Imagine how cool it would be to know that some other mom out there received a bible because you remembered how vital the bible is to you.

And may I encourage you to join the North Korea covert operation because, as you can see, North Korea is in dire need of bibles.

And if your mom is still living, why not get together and you can both join Bibles Unbound and give bibles together. Personally, I think it's cool to do special things like this together as a family. So I hope you consider making a difference for those moms in other nations who have yet to receive the best gift of all.

To learn more about how to join Bibles Unbound, please visit our Bibles Unbound website and watch our videos and learn more about the different operations. And may the Lord bless you and your mom.

On April 17, Hindu extremists attacked a group of Christians at a prayer meeting in Madhya Pradesh, India, causing the death of a 25-year-old man and severely injuring three other believers, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts.

Hindu radicals disrupted the meeting of more than 400 Christians and began destroying Bibles and other property. They attacked the Christians with sticks and iron rods, accusing them of forcible conversions. During the attack, Amit Gilbert, a master of divinity student, fell into an open well, hit his head on the well’s outer wall and drowned. One of the other injured Christians sustained a broken back and at last report remained in serious condition.

The Voice of the Martyrs encourages you to pray for those mourning the loss of Amit. Pray that the three injured Christians will fully recover. Pray that Christians in Madhya Pradesh will exemplify the love of Christ through love and prayer for those who persecute them.

April 29, 2010

This is bittersweet news from our friends at China Aid. We rejoice with our brother for being able to see his family for 15 minutes, but we know he must be having a hard time, as his family are, after such an emotional visit. Please join me in praying for this precious family today, and if you'd like to write to Alim, click here and see the information at China Aid.

XINJIANG—Separated by
the glass wall, Gulinuer and Alimujiang’s two sons stared at their
father for the first time in over two years. On April 20, under
international pressure thanks to years of legal advocacy and raising
public awareness, the Xinjiang Kashgar Prison authorities allowed the
Uyghur Christian prisoner to meet with his wife, children, mother, and
sister for a brief 15 minute conversation—the first personal contact
the family has had with Alim since he was first detained in January
2008.

Alim’s mother was extremely
emotional. She encouraged her son to be strong, and Alimujiang in turn
comforted her. His spirit seemed strong, and he encouraged his wife and
children, “Be strong and take heart! I know that this is God’s
training for me.”

Alim’s
10-year-old son expressed mixed emotions during the visit. He was
thankful to see his father after two years and three months of
separation, but was greatly discouraged that his father was still stuck
“in that place,” unable to return home with them. Gulinuer has watched
her son pray for Alimujiang every night, asking God to deliver him
from prison and bring him home. Despite the pain, she remains thankful
that her son’s faith is strong.

Alim’s
lawyers, Dr. Li Baiguang and Liu Peifu, were barred from meeting with
him only days before the family visit, even after gaining authorization
from the Xinjiang Bureau of Prison Management. Gulinuer contacted the
lawyers immediately after learning they would be granted a visit, but
after nearly a week of work in Xinjiang, the lawyers were already at
the airport en route to Beijing.

Dr.
Li Baiguang views Alim’s case as one of the worst cases of religious
persecution in the last 20 years. Disappointed by the Xinjiang Supreme
Courts rejection of Alim’s appeal filed in January, the legal team now
plans to appeal to the Beijing Supreme Court..

The teaching of Jesus is radical. When he taught his followers to love their enemies, that was just as radical then as it is today. Let us be reminded of this teaching from Matthew 5:43-45, " 43"You have heard that it
was said, 'Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your
enemies[b] and pray for those who persecute
you, 45that you may be
sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and
the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." - Now, as you read the horrific story of the bloody persecution and abuse of this Christian barber, please take a moment to pray for the barbers attackers, and for the barbers complete restoration and healing.

SARGODHA, Pakistan, April 28
(CDN) — A Christian
barber in this Punjab Province city is still recovering from broken
bones and other injuries sustained earlier this month after eight
Muslims allegedly beat and sodomized him for cutting the beard of a
Muslim.

Marwat Masih, 29, initially refused the request of
19-year-old Qandeel Cheema to cut his beard in Sargodha’s
Gulshan-e-Bashir town on April 13, knowing that area Sunni Muslims
believe the Quran prohibits it. But Cheema, a high school student, told
Masih that he had lived and studied in Lahore and therefore wanted a
more modern look, the bed-ridden and feeble Masih told Compass.

...

Masih said that he was
blindfolded with a black cloth and taken to an unknown place where he
was locked in a room. An hour later, Shakeel Cheema and seven others
arrived and began striking him with clubs, breaking his ribs, a wrist
and leg bones.

“Shakeel Cheema said, ‘Now we are going to
teach you a real lesson for shaving the beard of a Muslim man,” Masih
said, and after a long, pained pause he related how Cheema and the seven
others sodomized him. “I started bleeding and fell unconscious.”

In recent days we have referred to many cases, here in America, that involve prayer and specifically praying in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I am thrilled to let you know that a ban on praying in the name of Jesus has been reversed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, that was enacted in 2008, by state police Col. W. Stephen Flaherty. Click here to read the full story.

"The governor does not believe the state should tell chaplains of any
faith how to pray," McDonnell spokesman Tucker Marin is quoted as saying
in the Post. "Religious officials of all faiths should be
allowed to pray according to the dictates of their own conscience, and
in accordance with their faith traditions, while being respective of the
faith traditions of others."

April 28, 2010

Please keep Nigeria in your prayers. Today, sadly, we have some more bad news to report from our friends at Compass Direct. Click here for the full article.

Other Christians murdered in area that continues to be wracked by violence.

LAGOS, Nigeria, April 27 (CDN) — The killing of Christians in Jos, Plateau state in Nigeria continued over the weekend with two journalists and five other persons falling victim to Muslim youth gangs.

Nathan S. Dabak, an assistant editor at a newspaper of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) called The Light Bearer, and Sunday Gyang Bwede, a reporter at the publication, were stabbed to death on Saturday (April 24) at Gado-Bako in Jos North Local Government Area along with an unidentified motorcyclist.

“The staff of the church were murdered in cold blood by some Hausa Muslim youths,” the Rev. Pandang Yamsat, president of COCIN, told Compass today. “This is clear because they have been using the hand phones of the deceased journalists and boasting that they are the ones that killed them.”

The young Muslim men have been boldly answering calls to the cell phones of the deceased journalists, he said; when a friend of Dabak called his cell phone number, an unknown voice responded, “We have killed all of them – you can do your worst!”

Dabak, 36, and the 39-year-old Bwede had left their office on Saturday morning and were on their way to interview local politician Bulus Kaze when they fell into the hands of young Muslim men, Yamsat said.

The church started a search for the two Christians that day but did not discover their bodies until about noon on Sunday at the mortuary of Jos University Teaching Hospital, he said. He added that the church was eagerly waiting for results of a police investigation.

“The security team of the church has been communicating with the police, but they are yet to make any headway on this unfortunate incident,” he said.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, then you may remember a few weeks ago I mentioned the persecution that has been going on in China and particularly what we and our friends at China Aid, are calling Linfen Prisoners.

The Voice of the Martyrs has set up a special bulletin section on our Prisoner Alert page with information on five of the prisoners.

Pictured in this post is Yang Rongli, who is one of the five prisoners who is now sentenced to criminal detention for three to seven years, for "gathering people to disturb the public order", because they organized a PRAYER rally. Amazing isn't it?

Please take a few minutes to click over to Prisoner Alert and read all five of the new prisoners who are serving in Linfen and write some letters of encouragement and support.

THANK YOU so much for doing that and for being a part of this ministry because it really does make a different. And please do not forget to pray! God bless you all for being devoted to our suffering family in Christ.

On April 13, a pastor and his wife in Boto village, Bauchi state, Nigeria, were abducted and killed by suspected Islamic extremists, according to Compass Direct News.

Pastor Ishaku Kadah and his wife, Selina, were reportedly abducted from the headquarters of their church, which was also their home. Their burned bodies were discovered hours after their abduction. Extremists previously set fire to their church building in January, days after Christians displaced by violence in Plateau state had taken refuge at the church, according to Compass. “Police have reportedly arrested two suspects [in the murders] and have launched a manhunt for several other accomplices,” Compass said.

The brutal killings of Pastor Ishaku and his wife are the latest in a series of violent attacks against Christians in northern Nigeria. In January and March, Christians and Muslims rioted in several villages outside the city of Jos. Churches and homes were burned, and many Christians and Muslims were killed.

The Voice of the Martyrs assists persecuted believers in northern Nigeria by providing resources to help them rebuild their lives and by providing medical treatment to those injured in attacks.VOM encourages you to pray that God will comfort those who mourn Pastor Ishaku and his wife. Pray that their murderers will be brought to justice. Pray that Nigerian Christians will be committed to sharing the gospel and will strive for peace and reconciliation rather than seeking revenge.